No change in NCP leadership in state at present: Tariq

Published: Saturday, January 12, 2008, 17:02 [IST]

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Panaji, Jan 12 (UNI) Amid reports of seething anger against the president Dr Wilfred D'Souza in Goa, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary Tariq Anwar today ruled out any immediate change in the leadership of the party.

Interacting with newspersons here, Mr Anwar said that the party highcommand was not thinking of the change of leadership though it was aware of some bickerings in the party ranks against the former Chief Minister.

He confirmed reports that some political parties had sent feelers about merging with the NCP. There was also possibility of some other party leaders joining the party.

Mr Tariq was confident of widening the party base with its popularity in Goa over the years. The NCP had three members elected to the Legislative Assembly in the June 2 elections last year with the pre-poll alliance with the Congress as against its strength of two members in the previous House.

He had been here in Goa for two days to participate in the sittings of a parliamentary standing committee.

The young leaders in the party like Tourism Minister Francisco Xavier Pascheco however do not see eye to eye with the senilo party president who had scored several innings during his long political career in Goa.

Dr D'Souza was not happy with the government in the coalition politics as the latter failed to concede his demand for offering more important portfolios to its legislators besides adequate representation in the government for the party rank and file.

The former surgeon said that the party would not take ''the drastic step'' of withdrawing support to the Digambar Kamat government at any stage.